The South Dakota state dish is chislic which is a dish that is made of fried or grilled salted cubes of meat, which is most commonly lamb or beef and is often served on skewers or with crackers.
Chislic originated from German Russian settlers and is found in many restaurants across the state of South Dakota.
Chislic is a South Dakota thing as chislic is a traditional and also official state nosh of South Dakota.
The reason why chislic is famous in South Dakota is because it's famous as the official state "nosh" 2018, a tradition brought to the state of South Dakota in the 1800s by German Russian immigrants, primarily in southeastern communities like Freeman.
The Chislic dish in South Dakota is a simple preparation of salted, skewered cubes of meat which is often lamb or beef, and was born from immigrant ingenuity, becoming a popular and easily shared bar snack and celebration food that now also embodies South Dakota's Pioneer heritage and rural culture.
Chislic is a traditional dish of South Dakota and is made of deep fried or grilled cubes of red meat which is traditionally mutton or lamb that is then seasoned with salt or garlic salt and often served on skewers with toothpicks and saltine crackers.
Chislic originated from the German Russian immigrants of the 1870s, and is now a cultural staple in the southeastern part of South Dakota, which is also known as the "chislic Circle." and was also declared the official state "nosh" in 2018.
The immigrants, unable to grill due to a lack of firewood, began deep-frying meat cubes in the fat of sheep they raised, a method that became characteristic of chislic.
The chislic dish is considered a South Dakota delicacy, with the town of Freeman being considered the "Chislic Capital of America".